Read Online Shadowmoor (de Lohr Dynasty #6) by Kathryn Le Veque - Free Book Online
Authors: Kathryn Le Veque
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nothing?”
Liselotte shook her head. “Nothing, my lord.”
Which meant they shared their precious stores with him when he could have just as easily purchased a meal in town. He’d never seen such a level of poverty with people who had been forced into such circumstances.
“Well,” he said thoughtfully. “If I am to remain here to help you with Lord Bramley, I will pay for my lodgings and I will start tomorrow when we go north into the town to seek a messenger. I will purchase whatever supplies I can find there and bring them back. Is there anything specific that you need?”
Liselotte was dumbfounded. She looked at her father, fearfully, before replying. “Need?” she repeated. “I do not understand.”
Daniel could see he’d confused her with his question. Perhaps it was a question she had never heard in her life. “If I am going to eat and sleep here, then I must pay for that privilege,” he explained again. “I intend to pay for it by purchasing supplies. Do you have a cow for milk and cheese?”
Liselotte stared at him, her features pale with surprise. “We… nay, we do not,” she said. “We ate the cow.”
Daniel nodded decisively. “Then I shall purchase a cow or two,” he said. “If I am going to stay here, I must have cheese. I cannot do without it.”
His statement left no room for debate. Liselotte had no idea what to say, looking to her father to see what his reaction was, but Etzel seemed just as speechless as his daughter. He understood that their guest, their savior, had the right and expectation to eat what he wanted to eat, but Etzel also knew that Daniel was preparing to supply them with things they could not possibly pay him for.
“My lord,” he said. “Forgive us our inability to provide sufficiently for you, but we cannot reimburse you for that which you intend to purchase.”
Daniel looked at the man. “I do not expect you to,” he said. “Do you understand that I am paying for my keep by purchasing supplies? It is not usual for the host to reimburse a guest the cost of his upkeep. I will purchase the items I need for myself, but I will purchase enough to repay you for housing me. I am not sure how much plainer I can be to this regard.”
Etzel and Liselotte looked at each other, unwilling to protest for two reasons – they didn’t want to offend their guest and, truly, it had been a very long time since they had been supplied with enough to eat. Perhaps it was their hungry bellies willing to overlook their pride. In any case, they didn’t protest or argue purely out of surprise for what Daniel intended to do. He seemed quite determined to do it and he was quite clear that there would be no need for monetary compensation.
It was a wonderful thought, and one that brought about great relief, but there was still the matter of pride. Etzel wasn’t used to taking charity and it was difficult to accept that this knight wished to provide them with sustenance. As he wrestled with that pride, Gunnar climbed off his father’s lap and went to Daniel.
“Are you so rich, then?” he asked. “You can buy a cow?”
Daniel grinned at the wide-eyed boy, who was really an adorable lad. “I can,” he said. “I can buy most anything I want. I am fortunate that I have the means.”
“But if you travel all of the time, as you say, how do you make your money?” Liselotte asked. “Shouldn’t you serve a lord or, at the very least, have a trade?”
Daniel’s gaze turned to her, that angelic face. “I am actually not a true vagabond,” he admitted. “I am titled and I hold lands within the Canterbury earldom. Lord Thorndon is my title, in fact. I have property that generates income for me and men to staff my holdings.”
Gunnar was interested. “What holdings?” he asked. “Do you have a big castle and lots of men with swords?”
Daniel grinned. “I have two small castles, in fact,” he said. “And my father’s men staff them as outposts.”
“But you said you
Liselotte shook her head. “Nothing, my lord.”
Which meant they shared their precious stores with him when he could have just as easily purchased a meal in town. He’d never seen such a level of poverty with people who had been forced into such circumstances.
“Well,” he said thoughtfully. “If I am to remain here to help you with Lord Bramley, I will pay for my lodgings and I will start tomorrow when we go north into the town to seek a messenger. I will purchase whatever supplies I can find there and bring them back. Is there anything specific that you need?”
Liselotte was dumbfounded. She looked at her father, fearfully, before replying. “Need?” she repeated. “I do not understand.”
Daniel could see he’d confused her with his question. Perhaps it was a question she had never heard in her life. “If I am going to eat and sleep here, then I must pay for that privilege,” he explained again. “I intend to pay for it by purchasing supplies. Do you have a cow for milk and cheese?”
Liselotte stared at him, her features pale with surprise. “We… nay, we do not,” she said. “We ate the cow.”
Daniel nodded decisively. “Then I shall purchase a cow or two,” he said. “If I am going to stay here, I must have cheese. I cannot do without it.”
His statement left no room for debate. Liselotte had no idea what to say, looking to her father to see what his reaction was, but Etzel seemed just as speechless as his daughter. He understood that their guest, their savior, had the right and expectation to eat what he wanted to eat, but Etzel also knew that Daniel was preparing to supply them with things they could not possibly pay him for.
“My lord,” he said. “Forgive us our inability to provide sufficiently for you, but we cannot reimburse you for that which you intend to purchase.”
Daniel looked at the man. “I do not expect you to,” he said. “Do you understand that I am paying for my keep by purchasing supplies? It is not usual for the host to reimburse a guest the cost of his upkeep. I will purchase the items I need for myself, but I will purchase enough to repay you for housing me. I am not sure how much plainer I can be to this regard.”
Etzel and Liselotte looked at each other, unwilling to protest for two reasons – they didn’t want to offend their guest and, truly, it had been a very long time since they had been supplied with enough to eat. Perhaps it was their hungry bellies willing to overlook their pride. In any case, they didn’t protest or argue purely out of surprise for what Daniel intended to do. He seemed quite determined to do it and he was quite clear that there would be no need for monetary compensation.
It was a wonderful thought, and one that brought about great relief, but there was still the matter of pride. Etzel wasn’t used to taking charity and it was difficult to accept that this knight wished to provide them with sustenance. As he wrestled with that pride, Gunnar climbed off his father’s lap and went to Daniel.
“Are you so rich, then?” he asked. “You can buy a cow?”
Daniel grinned at the wide-eyed boy, who was really an adorable lad. “I can,” he said. “I can buy most anything I want. I am fortunate that I have the means.”
“But if you travel all of the time, as you say, how do you make your money?” Liselotte asked. “Shouldn’t you serve a lord or, at the very least, have a trade?”
Daniel’s gaze turned to her, that angelic face. “I am actually not a true vagabond,” he admitted. “I am titled and I hold lands within the Canterbury earldom. Lord Thorndon is my title, in fact. I have property that generates income for me and men to staff my holdings.”
Gunnar was interested. “What holdings?” he asked. “Do you have a big castle and lots of men with swords?”
Daniel grinned. “I have two small castles, in fact,” he said. “And my father’s men staff them as outposts.”
“But you said you
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